As we continue to see more and more from Italian developer Dream Audio Tools, we have a closer look at Indie Ukulele and Indie Mandolin in this review. Both products follow a similar path to most Dream Audio Tools products, which means that they consist of strummed triads, sustained tones, and effects, helping the creative processes of composers, arrangers, and musicians in general by providing them with usable and carefully designed tools.

What is Indie Ukulele and Indie Mandolin?

Both are sample based libraries for Native Instruments Kontakt. Indie Ukulele features a complete set of a Concert Ukulele strummed triads, sustained tones, and effects, as well as ghost strums and sustained chords to allow for creating dynamic rhythmic sequences, while the intense tone of the sustains, helped by slides and hammer-ons, are the key for sweet melodic playing. Indie Mandolin features fully playable sequenced pattern patches, sustained tones, round robin patches, slides, double stops, and tremolando.

Both: Full version of Native Instruments Kontakt 4.2.3 or above is required

Both: Delivered as digital download

Bundle Price Tag: €29.90

Installation

The installation for both libraries is identical. After purchase you will be able to download the installation file. Once unzipped, open your file browser in Kontakt and load your patch of choice from the “Instruments” folder. As these libraries need the full retail version of Kontakt, they will not appear in the libraries tab pane, however, you can add them to the quick launch menu instead.

Dream Audio Tools – Indie Ukulele And Indie Mandolin

Sound

As usual, the sound of both libraries is totally what I would call “high end”. All the patches are well recorded, and there will be no issues to get them to cut through the mix. As usual, Dream Audio Tools provides simple enough patches, which I really love, since they don’t distract from composing work. There are no fancy scripting options available, only effect parameters for Chorus, Phase, Delay, and Reverb. Honestly, no more is needed.

As 1000 words can’t explain how an instrument really sounds, here some examples from the wonderful demos of Dream Audio Tools.

Conclusion

Dream Audio Tools have done it again! Like on The LFO Piano and Repetitive Bass 3 – Liverpool Edition (both of which I have previously reviewed), they again paired up simplicity with a high end sound and intuitive usability. This is what I, as a composer, am looking for. Fancy scripting options and tons of features are nice, but not if I am looking for some solid tools for fast composing. If you then also think about the price of €14.90 for Indie Ukulele or €19.90 for Indie Mandolin (both bundled for €29.90) – have you still not triggered the button? More value for money is really not possible.

As we continue to see more and more from Italian developer Dream Audio Tools, we have a closer look at Indie Ukulele and Indie Mandolin in this review. Both products follow a similar path to most Dream Audio Tools products, which means that they consist of strummed triads, sustained tones, and effects, helping the creative processes of composers, arrangers, and musicians in general by providing them with usable and carefully designed tools. What is Indie Ukulele and Indie Mandolin? Both are sample based libraries for Native Instruments Kontakt. Indie Ukulele features a complete set of a Concert Ukulele strummed triads, sustained tones, and effects, as well as ghost strums and sustained chords to allow for creating dynamic rhythmic sequences, while the intense tone of the sustains, helped by slides and hammer-ons, are the key for sweet melodic playing. Indie Mandolin features fully playable sequenced pattern patches, sustained tones, round robin patches, slides, double stops, and tremolando. Features Overview Indie Ukulele: True sounding set of strummed triads (up-downs, two different major, two different minor, augmented and diminished, each sampled chromatically trough the neck), round robin sustains, slides, hammer-ons, ghost strums, noises Indie Ukulele: 8.nki patches Indie Ukulele: Keyswitches for real time performances Price Tag: €14.90 Indie Mandolin: A comprehensive choice of fully playable patterns, sustained notes, hammer-ons, tremolando, double stops, combined patches Indie Mandolin: Patches can be layered for unlimited combinations and arrangements Indie Mandolin: 21.nki patches Price Tag: €19.90 Both: All samples 24 bit/48 Khz Both: Low memory usage, Laptop ready Both: Designed effect variations activable (Chorus, Delay, Flanger, Reverb) Both: Modulation/Pitch wheel controlled behaviours Both: Full version of Native Instruments Kontakt 4.2.3 or above is required Both: Delivered as digital download Bundle Price Tag: €29.90 Installation The installation for both libraries is identical. After purchase you will be able to download the installation file. Once unzipped, open your file browser in Kontakt and load your patch of choice from the “Instruments” folder. As these libraries need the full retail version of Kontakt, they will not appear in the libraries tab pane, however, you can add them to the quick launch menu instead. Dream Audio Tools – Indie Ukulele And Indie Mandolin Sound As usual, the sound of both libraries is totally what I would call “high end”. All the patches are well recorded, and there will be no issues to get them to cut through the mix. As usual, Dream Audio Tools provides simple enough patches, which I really love, since they don’t distract from composing work. There are no fancy scripting options available, only effect parameters for Chorus, Phase, Delay, and Reverb. Honestly, no more is needed. As 1000 words can’t explain how an instrument really sounds, here some examples from the wonderful demos of Dream Audio Tools. https://soundcloud.com/dream-audio-tools/sets/indie-ukulele https://soundcloud.com/dream-audio-tools/sets/indie-mandolin Conclusion Dream Audio Tools have done it again! Like on The LFO Piano and Repetitive Bass 3 – Liverpool Edition (both of which I have previously reviewed), they again paired up simplicity with a high end sound and intuitive usability. This is what I, as…

Indie Ukulele & Indie Mandolin by Dream Audio Tools

Installation – 100%

Sound – 100%

Interface – 100%

Patches – 90%

Value – 100%

98

98%

98/100

Indie Ukulele & Mandolin are the perfect companions when it comes for folk or motivational music. At the price of €29.90 (bundled) this is really a bargain and hard to find any alternative in this quality.

98

Written by: Rob Schroeder

I am a film, tv, game, pop and rock music composer and musician contracted with several music libraries like Soundtaxi, CouldB and Scorekeepers. Beside my work as composer I do also Electro House, Dubstep and Drum 'n' Bass remixes as part of the DubLion Project. I live in Crailsheim, Germany.

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